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In most homes, a boring neutral shade is the default ceiling color — and we think that is a missed decorating opportunity. Why? Just like your four walls, the right paint color above can transform the look and feel of a space. To drive our point home, we gathered our favorite statement ceilings to show how a couple of coats of paint can take any room in your home to new stylish heights....

These herbs are quick to germinate and quick to grow. They are relatively cold-tolerant, so the fickle spring weather won’t be as much of an issue. As an additional benefit, these herbs grow quickly enough that you can often get a fall harvest by continuing to seed late into the summer. Although they may not grow to full height, you will be able to harvest additional cuttings before frost hits....

Garden bridges can be built from scratch or they can be purchased as a kit that’s ready to assemble. Garden bridge kits start around $125 for small, 4-foot decorative bridges and range up to around $3,000 for highly elaborate 8-foot-long bridges with railings, trellises, and flower boxes. Many garden bridges are curved and have elaborate railings reminiscent of bridges in fairy tales. By contrast, this bridge is all about natural simplicity: a slight upward arc and 18 deck boards across two stringers....

Detergents are now offered in liquid, powder, or single-dose packs formats. All of them clean clothes well. However, liquid detergents are very effective on greasy, oily stains, and can be easily used as a stain pre-treater. Powdered detergents are usually less expensive to use per load. They are effective on clay and ground-in dirt. Single-dose detergents are convenient and simple to use. They are typically more expensive to use on a per load basis....

When it comes to the space(s) you occupy, unquestioningly, innovators organize their homes differently. From the placement of your furniture to the prioritization of functional items, here are some ways you have uniquely designed your living space: 1. You Tame Clutter Chaos With Intentional Piles Okay, this may sound a little strange, but one of your biggest organization hacks is the piling strategy. Why? Because simply moving junk from one part of your house to another (think: creating junk drawers or out-of-sight storage bins) doesn’t work for you....

USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 10Sun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Sandy, loamy To protect lettuce when a frost is coming, cover the garden with sheets or towels or insulation blankets available at any garden center. These coverings will help in the short term, but if the frost goes on for days, you may lose your crop. USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 11Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Rich, amended soil...

After a year of working out of office (while running a full-time homeschool out of our kitchen—yup, that really happened) I find solace in places that are my own. And honestly, there’s something to be said for each of our family members having their own ‘safe havens.’ My son has his room, I have the garage-turned-home-office, and, well, my fiancé is sprinkled a little bit of everywhere. This is why I—like many others—want to create the perfect spot for the man in my life....

1. Adding a new member to the family In 2017, when Marek and Kothney-Issa Bush moved into their 200-square-foot tiny house, they were looking for three things: geographic flexibility, ownership and property with future rental or resale value. Around the same time, the young couple also committed to paying off their $125,000 debt, which made the low-cost lifestyle of tiny living even more appealing. In two years, they paid off their whopping debt, including the house, and continued living tiny until 2021 when they welcomed a new member to the family—their daughter Zalayah Bush....

Although rules are made to guide designers and fans of design, they can snuff out creativity and out-of-the-box thinking—two vital components needed for turning your home into a unique collection of personal designs and rooms you adore. But as a few designers comfortingly asserted: rules are meant to be broken. These seven experts divulged the rules they have no problem shattering and rethinking, and included plenty of exciting and creative ways for doing so with confidence....

Natural Aging Process Older Phalaenopsis often have somewhat elongated stems where old leaves have dropped away. New roots will continuously emerge from the stem of healthy plants, eventually forming a mass of roots. If you discover a yellowing leaf on the bottom of the plant, don’t worry. This yellowing is a natural process of the plant to discard the mature leaf to produce a new leaf. However, if the leaves are yellowing from the top of the plant, there is a problem....

Automatic Reversal Since 1993, garage door openers have been required to be equipped with a safety reversing mechanism. This feature utilizes two sensors about six inches above floor level on both sides of the door. When an object, such as a child or pet, runs through the light beam passing between these sensors while the door is closing, the door immediately stops and reverses direction. If your garage door opener does not have a safety reversing feature, or if the one it does have no longer works, replacing the opener is highly recommended as a safety measure....

For some context, I live with my family of four in a 1400 sq. ft. flat in London. We have an open plan living room, dining room, and kitchen, plus three bedrooms: the primary bedroom, our kids’ shared bedroom, and a playroom. No private office for me, so a multi-purpose space, like so many people these days, has to suffice. I panic-ordered a lap desk in the hopes that would fix everything....

In addition to selling plants, you can also find smudge sticks, which people use to cleanse their space to invite positive energy in, and custom crystal manifestation jars. But perhaps the coolest thing she’s got for sale is her All Things Plant Related Subscription Box. It’s a monthly subscription includes a sage stick, a DIY plant kit, and some other fun things. Their beautiful Geode collection boasts planters of different sizes to hold your favorite houseplants and vessels to showcase air plants....

And the internet is filled with hacks and tips that lure us in with visions of better and effortless cleaning. Who thinks of these things and why haven’t we seen them sooner? Some are based on a bit of science, but most are not. Here are eight cleaning hacks that don’t work and will just waste your time and money. Some are even flat out dangerous! Skip ’em and follow the saner advice that will give you a much cleaner and safer outcome....

But, as it feels every year, the months of November and December always go by so quickly. That’s why it’s best to consider what you can do—and early—to get on top of the holiday season and best prepare your home for your family and guests. From decluttering to checking your heating system, here are the eight best tips from experts to help you be proactive this season. Along the same vein as early prep, you can also ready your family, children, or roommates by making some meals or treats in advance....

Here are eight super trendy two-toned kitchens that will have you doing a double take. This works great with color. This kitchen shows blue on the base cabinets and wood on the upper cabinets. This gets you the color you want without having it swallow the space. And yes, you are still committed—just not enough to get bored of over the years. Since black is a trend, you might also like black finishes in your kitchen....

Several of these ideas are simple DIY solutions; for others, you may need to supervise a contractor to create the storage feature you want, tailored to your space. This kind of under-stairs storage feature can be an ideal place for a home library or pantry shelving. Such a space can even make for a space-efficient home office. The steps are really nothing more than wooden boxes fitted with cabinet doors and stacked to create steps to a loft space....